Telephone substation apparatus



NW, 5, 1 .9 16. D. B. MILLER 2,41%787 TELEPHONE SUBSTATION APPARATUSFiled Feb. 23, 1945 2 SheetsSheet 1 EN VEN TOR. 0. B. MILLER HTTOR/VEVFatented Nov. 5, 1943 TELEPHONE SUBSTATION APPARATUS Donald B. Miller,Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Stromberg-Carlson Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application February 23, 1945, Serial No.579,358

6 Claims.

This invention relates to telephone substation apparatus and moreparticularly to switching means for selectively operating the receivercontacts and. the transmitter contacts of a substation telephone.

Where telephone substation apparatus is used on a party telephone lineof an automatic telephone system, it sometimes happens that a subscriberat a second substation on that line closes the hook-switch of hissubstation apparatus while a subscriber at a first substation on thisparty line is already engaged in transmitting dial impulsescorresponding to a wanted telephone line. Th actuation of thehook-switch at the second substation on the party telephone line will,under these conditions, mutilate the series of impulses then beingtransmitted from the first substation, In accordance with one feature ofthe present invention, there is provided an arrangement whereby theremoval of the telephone hand set from the telephone support serves tomove the hook-switch to a position wherein only the telephone receiverof the substation is effectively connected to the party telephone line,the transmitter circuit thereof being held open at this time. Thiaffords the subscriber an oppotunity to listen for aseries of dialimpulses being sent over his party lin from another substation thereonand this can be done without mutilating the series of impulses. In theevent that no such impulses are being sent at this time, this subscribercan manually operate the hook-switch further which will be effective toconnect the telephone transmitter in circuit with the telephone line sothat this subscriber can proceed to complete his call.

Telephone substations are sometimes located in noisy locations, as aresult of which it is frequently desirable to short-circuit thetransmitter at this station, during such intervals'as the subscriberlocated thereat, is not talking. In accordance with another featur ofthe present invention, a novel arrangement is provided for manuallyshort-circuiting the transmitter at the substation during such periodsas the subscriber thereat is not talking.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the description,when taken with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front View of a wall type telephone substation having thepresent invention incorporated therein;

. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views taken substantiallyon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 2 showing the position of the mechanismwhen the hook-switch contact springs are open due to the presence of thehand set on the cradle support; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the contactsprings of the hook-switch in their second or intermediate positionwhich prevails after. the hand set has been removed from the support butbefore the mechanism is further actuated manually to advance the contactsprings of the'hook switch to their fully closed position, asillustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the invention applied to a cradletype desk stand and also illustrating how the mechanism can be furthermodified to short-circuit the transmitter at noisy locations during suchintervals as the subscriber thereat is not talking; and

spaced pairs of integral upright portions 6, 6 between which the handle1 of a combined transmitter and receiver or French type hand set isadapted to rest when not in use. Between each pair 6, 6 of uprights ofthe support ther is mounted a plunger 8 for movement through a guidepassage 9 in the housing and through an opening in the L-shaped bracketIt. This bracket is secured at each end thereof to the inner wall of thehousing as indicated at H. Each of the plungers 8 has a shoulder 12 nearits lower end. These shoulders engage the bracket i0 (Fig. 2) as a stopwhen the plungers have been forced to their lowermost position by thehandle 1 of th handset while on its cradle support. The bracket isprovided near the bend therein, with downwardly spaced ears is toreceive a pin 1 3 on which an angular hook-switch spring actuator i5 ismounted. This actuator has an armature portion It normally contactingthe lower ends of the plungers B. The actuator l5 also has a lowerportion l1 adapted to operate the motor spring I8 of a pair of receivercontact springs comprising the motor spring l8 and the stationary springI!) and also to actuate the motor spring 20 of a pair of transmittersprings comprising motor spring 20 and stationary spring 2!. The severalsprings are support- 3 ed on a downwardly extending arm 22 integral withthe bracket l0.

It should be pointed out that in accordance with the present inventionthe transmitter springs 20 and 2| remain open but the receiver springs18 and 19 are closed when the handle I of the hand set is removed fromits cradle. The plungers 8 will tend to move upward due to the tensionof the mentioned receiver and transmitter motor springs applied throughthe actuator I to the lower ends of these plungers 3. However, thearmature portion N5 of the actuator is provided with a catch 23 whichwill now engagl a latch 24 to limit further clockwise movement of theactuator. The latch 24 is carried at the lower end of the verticalportion 25 of an inverted L-shaped member having a horizonta. portion26. The L-shaped member, including the horizontal portion 26, is adaptedto extend across the space between the pair of uprights 5 on the cradlesupport. The vertical portion 25 of this member is pivoted on ahorizontal pintle 28 supported in suitable upright ears 29 located oneach side of the bracket 10. A coil spring 30 encircling the pintle 28,has one end embracing the housing and has its other-end engaging thelower edge of the vertical portion 25 of the L-shaped member. The springtends to rotate a part of this member against a suitable stop 33. Withcatch 23 on the actuator held by the latch 24, the actuator moves onlyto the position wherein the receiver contact springs 18 and 39 areclosed (Fig. 3). At this time the transmitter springs 20 and 2| are openso that the transmitting portion of the substation circuit (Fig. 6) isineffective and consequently the dial impulses on a simultaneous callfrom another substation of the same party line, will not be mutilated.

When the subscriber at this substation has ascertained that no othersubstation on his party line is engaged in completing a call, he willpress down on thehorizontal portion 26 of the L-shaped member as far asstop 32. This will rock the latch 24 out of the path of the catch 23 onthe actuator. Thus the actuator l5 can rock clockwise so that not onlythe receiver contact springs [Band I9 but also the transmitter contactsprings 20 and 2| will be closed, as illustrated in Fig. 4. It will beunderstood, of course, that the handle I, when the hand set is replacedon its cradle, will push down the plungers 8 to rock the actuator in acounterclockwise direction until the actuator strikes the stop 34. Thisin turn opens both the receiver contact springs and the transmittercontact springs as shown in Fig. 2. The mechanism of the presentinvention can also be mounted in the housing 35 of a cradle type deskstand, as illustrated in Fig. 5. When used in a desk stand housing, theL-shaped bracket I0 is fastened by one or more screws 36 to. a rib 3'!of the housing. Here also the coil spring 30 encircles the pintle 28 andone end of the spring engages the lower edge of the vertical part 25 ofthe Lshaped member but the other end of the coil spring engages one sideof a lug 39 integral with the housing. This spring tends to rotate theL-shaped member counterclockwise against the other side of the lug. Thismechanism operates in the manner already described. However, in thearrangement shown in Fig. 5, provision has also been made whereby thetelephone transmitter of this substation can be short-circuited at will,when used in a noisy location. To effect this result, there is mountedwithin the housing a so-called microswitch 45, which maintains itscontacts (not shown) normally open except when its button 46 isdepressed. In this arrangement, the button 46 is in the path of thelatch 24 so that while the subscriber presses down on the horizontalportion 26 of the L-shaped member, the latch 24 actuates the button 46.Button 46 closes the microswitch 45 so that its contacts short-circuitthe transmitter. It should be mentioned that when the microswitch isused it will be connected in the substation circuits of Fig. 6 at thepoints indicated at X and Y.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a telephone housing, a transmitter and a telephonereceiver associated with said housing, at least said receiver beingmovable with respect to said housing, a set of receiver spring contactsand a set of transmitter spring contacts mounted within said housing, anactuator movable to a primary position in which it opens both of saidsets of contacts and to an intermediate position in which it maintainssaid transmitter contacts open while permitting said receiver contactsto close and to a secondary position in which it permits both sets ofcontacts to close, an element extending from the outside of said housinginto the interior thereof, said element being efiective under the weightof said receiver to advance said actuator to its primary position, alatch within said housing and effective on the lifting of said receiverto retain said actuator in its intermediate position, and a memberactuated from the outside of said housing for releasing said latch fromsaid actuator.

2. In combination, a telephone housing, a transmitter and a telephonereceiver associated with said housing, at least said receiver beingmovable with respect to said housing, a set of receiver spring contactsand a set of transmitter spring contacts mounted within said housing, anactuator movable to a primary position in which it opens both of saidsets of contacts and to an intermediate position in which it maintainssaid transmitter contacts open while permitting said receiver contactsto close and to a secondary position in which it permits both sets ofcontacts to close, an element extending from the outside of said housinginto the interior thereof, said element being effective under the Weightof said receiver to advance said actuator to its primary position, alatch within said housing and effective on the lifting of said receiverto retain said actuator in its intermediate position, a member actuatedfrom the outside of said housing for releasing said latch from saidactuator, and a switch under the control of said member forshort-circuiting said transmitter at will.

3. In combination, a telephone housing, a transmitter and a telephonereceiver associated with said housing, at least said receiver beingmovable with respect to said housing, a set of receiver spring contactsand a set of transmitter spring contacts mounted within saidhousing, anactuator movable to a primary position in which it opens both of saidsets of contacts and to an intermediate position in which it maintainssaid transmitter contacts open while permitting said receiver contactsto close and a secondary position in which it permits both sets ofcontacts to close, a vertically movable plunger extending from theoutside of said housing into the interior thereof, said plunger beingefiective under the weight of said receiver to advance said actuator toits primary position, a latch within said housing and efiective on thelifting of said receiver to retain said actuator in its intermediateposition, and an element actuated from the outside of said housing forreleasing said latch from said actuator.

4. In combination, atelephone housing, ahandset including a transmitterand a receiver joined by a handle, a cradle support on said housingcomprising two pairs of spaced uprights, the uprights of a pair beingseparated a distance apart sufficient to receive the handle of thehandset therebetween, a generaliy horizontal pivotally mounted memberbetween said uprights and adapted to be rocked a limited amount, a latchwithin said housing controlled by said member, a set of receiver contactsprings and a set of transmitter contact springs mounted within saidhousing, an actuator movable to a primary position in which it opensboth of said sets of springs and to an intermediate position in which itmaintains said transmitter springs open while permitting said receiversprings to close and a secondary position in which it permits both setsof springs to close, and an element extending from the outside of saidhousing into the interior thereof, said element beingeffective under theweight of said handle to advance said actuator to its primary position,said latch being effective on the lifting of said handle to retain saidactuator in its intermediate position, said member being movable at willfor disengaging said latch from said actuator.

5. In combination, a telephone housing, a handset including atransmitter and a receiver joined by a handle, a cradle support on saidhousing comprising two pairs of spaced uprights, the uprights of a pairbeing separated a distance apart suflicient to receive the handle of thehandset therebetween, a generally horizontal pivotally mounted memberbetween said uprights and adapted to be rocked a limited amount, a latchwithin said housing controlled by said member, a set of receiver contactsprings and a set of transmitter contact springs mounted within saidhousing, an actuator movable to a primary position in which it opensboth of said sets of springs and to an intermediate position in which itmaintains said transmitter springs open while permitting said receiversprings to close and a secondary position in which it permits both setsof springs to close, an element extending from the outside of saidhousing into the interior thereof, said element being effective underthe weight of said handle to advance said actuator to its primaryposition, said latch being effective on the lifting of said handle toretain said actuator in its intermediate position, said member beingmovable at will for disengaging said latch from said actuator, and aswitch under the control of said member for short-circuiting saidtransmitter.

6. In combination, a telephone housing, a handset including atransmitter and a receiver joined by a handle, a cradle support on saidhousing comprising two pairs of spaced uprights, the uprights of a pairbeing separated a distance apart sumcient to receive the handle of thehandset therebetween, an inverted L-shaped member pivoted for rockingmovement about a horizontal axis, said member having a generallyhorizontal portion extending between said pairs of uprights, said memberhaving a substantially vertical portion provided at its lower end with alatch extending into said housing, a set of receiver contact springs anda set of transmitter contact springs mounted within said housing, anactuator movable to a primary position in which it opens both of saidsets of springs and to an intermediate position in which it maintainssaid transmitter springs open while permitting said receiver springs toclose and to a second position in which it permits both sets of springsto close, and a pair of plungers each extending from between a pair ofuprights at the outside of the housing to th interior of said housing,said plnngers being effective under the weight of said handle to advancesaid actuator to its primary position, said latch being effective on thelifting of said handle to retain said actuator in its intermediateposition, said member being movable at will for disengaging said latchfrom said actuator.

DONALD B. MILLER.

